Hyderabad, April 24 -- Since the beginning of 2019 up until now, rabies has claimed 54 lives in Hyderabad as the city has been experiencing a severe problem with stray dogs.

An average of around 70 people are bitten daily and two rabies-related deaths each month this year.

The number of dog bites has been growing over the years. In 2022, there were 19,847 reported cases. This number jumped to 26,349 cases in 2023, and from January to mid-April 2024, already 9,208 incidents have been recorded. At this pace, the city is likely to reach or surpass last year's figures as reported by The Times of India.

According to data from the government's fever hospital, there have been eight rabies deaths in just the first few months of this year. Dr. ...